Somewhere Between The Stars
by Lionheart1
Summary: The hardest thing we'll ever learn is how to say goodbye.


Somewhere Between The Stars

_'How do you let someone go?_

_How do you understand that that's all right, that everything changes?_

_How do you find a way for that to make you feel good about life, instead of breaking your heart?_

_The hardest thing you'll ever learn is how to say goodbye.'_

The whole of the field was lit up by the magnificent display of flying disks above them. The crowd of people below looked into the sky in awe, even though many of them had been taken before, none of them had seen anything like this. 

A tear rolled down Lisa's cheek as she saw Allie had already walked down into the crowd. Deep down inside her she had always known that this day was doomed to come. A part of her cursed herself for thinking that her daughter could be safe in this world, she was special, and even if Allie decided to stay with them people would still be looking for them to take her away again. 

Allie stopped in the field, when a streak of light shot out of one of the saucers surrounding her in a blue aura. Through the blue she could see Lisa running towards her, with Charlie following behind. She felt a little afraid when the thought came to her that this would be the last time she'd see her parents in a long time. Slowly she raised her arm to reach for her mother's hand, all she wanted at the moment was to be together as a family, including Charlie.

Lisa acknowledged her gesture and wearily put her hand towards the blue light as a memory from when she was pregnant came to mind. She indeed had, had the same blue light surrounding her; a lady had been hurt trying to get to her through the mysterious light.  To Lisa's relief the light didn't harm her and she was able to reach her daughters hand. She tried to put on a brave smile for Allie ignoring the tears that were rolling down her face. She could see Allie herself was crying with a faint smile. With her free hand Lisa reached for Charlie who was stood behind her. 

Time seemed to have stopped around them, they could have been there for hours and they wouldn't notice. None of them cared; they just stood together as a family, not saying anything for words weren't needed at this moment. What was there to say? 

Finally a blinding bright light lit up the whole of the field surrounding them, through the light Lisa could feel her daughters grip slowly loosen until there was no hand there. The light faded and everything around them was back to normal. Everything, apart from someone, who meant the world for two people. 

Lisa looked all around her. Nothing. The word sounded so empty, finally her knees lost the strength and she broke down into tears on the ground where her daughter was stood just moments ago. Charlie wrapped his arms around her as she quietly sobbed against his chest. 

They didn't know how long they had stayed there together, maybe hours? In any case, it was irrelevant. Gradually the crowds of people began to leave each giving their sympathy to the parent's loss as they left. 

Tom stepped out of the old house and walked down the worn, aging steps. In his hands he held the thing that meant the most to Allie. Her journal. He was never quite sure what she wrote inside it but in any case, she never went anywhere without it. Out in the field he could see his most precious niece sadly sobbing while Charlie held her gently to try and comfort her. A single tear rolled down the aging mans face, she didn't deserve this, no one did. How could it be right to have her only daughter taken away from her like that? He wasn't sure if they'd ever see each other again, that was something only the aliens could decide. Perhaps Allie could persuade them, if she wanted to. He studied the journal he held in his hands for a moment, later on he would give this to Lisa.

Charlie stroked Lisa's hair as she rested her head against his shoulder, he wondered to himself how she would manage without Allie in her life. Although he hadn't known either Lisa or Allie long, he had developed strong feelings for the both of them. It hurt him so much at the thought that Allie was now gone. All this way, for this? He nearly let out a little laugh, the thought of it did sound comical. Chasing after your daughter and trying to keep her safe from the grasp of the government and in the end. In the end she ends up being taken away by some species that live on a far away planet. He quickly shook the thought away; he didn't want to think about that right now. The only thing that was most important right now was Lisa. He noticed that she had now stopped crying as she let out a tired sigh. She lifted her head that had been resting against Charlie when something in the ground caught her eye. 

A silver chain with a star, which had once been an earring, sat in the ground next to them looking as elegant as any precious piece of jewellery did. Lisa picked up the necklace between her fingers and studied it. The star that belonged to John, she had joined both of them together and had given it to Allie. Now it was here in Lisa's hands, with the other star missing. A smile slowly crept on Lisa's lips as she realised what this probably meant. 

"She's coming back, Charlie," she whispered as she put the necklace back on her neck where it had been for many years before.

Charlie looked at her for a moment not sure how to respond, he reached his hand for hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze "I hope you're right"

A moment passed in silence save for the sounds of insects and other creatures of the night, until Tom stepped out behind them with Allie's journal in his hands. " I thought you might want this," he said handing Lisa the journal. 

 Lisa ran a hand along the front cover of her daughter's journal; carefully she opened it and turned to the front page. She looked up at Tom and quietly thanked him. He'd said that he would be inside the house if they needed him and then left the two of them together alone once again, to read Allie's journal.

~*~

"It's getting a little cold, do you wanna go inside?" Charlie suggested. 

Lisa gave him a smile "You can go inside, I'm going to stay out here, just a little longer". Charlie took off his coat and put it around Lisa's shoulders so she wouldn't get cold in the night air. 

"You sure you'll be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, you should get some rest," she said turning towards him "and if its not too much trouble I'd like to go back home tomorrow"

Although he was a little shocked by her last statement, he didn't say anything. He would stand by her for as long as she would let him, it couldn't be easy for her. The only thing he could do was to stand beside her she needed him. Slowly he turned around and walked to the house Tom had gone into some time earlier. 

Lisa watched as Charlie disappeared into the house, once he had gone she let out a sigh and began to cry once again. She placed her hands onto the ground in front of her, the ground where Allie was stood on the last time she had seen her daughter. "Allie..." she said through her tears. In her mind she could picture Allie sat next to her _"Mom." _she would say, _" you shouldn't be afraid, there's no need to be scared anymore_. _Everything is going to be okay now." _ Lisa's imagination was getting the better of her; she reached out to the illusion she saw in front of her. Just like she knew would happen, her hand went through the illusion and she was left in the field alone once more. It was no use pretending that Allie was still here, that everything has gone back to normal and she would continue with her life as it had been before. Nothing ever stayed the same forever. 

She lifted her head towards the sky now showing signs of light as dawn was soon coming. The sky where the crafts had come from, the same sky that had started everything off.

Her hands felt the shreds of grass beneath them, it was a strange feeling. She was beginning to feel like the patch in front of her was her daughter. The reason why she didn't go inside with Charlie when he had asked her, she felt like she was leaving her daughter outside, helpless and alone in the grass. This was stupid, the thought to herself. Lisa knew that all this wasn't helping, the only way she could return to her life was to stop thinking such things and try and move on. Although she knew that the latter was easier said than done, it was the only thing she could do right now. Accept. 

Lisa stood stiffly to her feet; she didn't care to think of how long she'd be sat helplessly on the ground. She took one last look at the ground with saddened eyes and clutched the lone star around her neck. She wasn't sure what was to come in the near future. Maybe Allie would come back, maybe she wouldn't. Life was an uncertain thing; the only thing that she was certain about, was Allie was out there somewhere. Somewhere between the stars. 


End file.
